Board of Directors

Cogeco Communications' strategic direction and ongoing operations are governed by an experienced Board of Directors, mostly made up of independent members who contribute to Cogeco Communications' continued development.

Colleen Abdoulah

M.B.A, APR

Director

Colleen Abdoulah

M.B.A, APR

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Ms. Abdoulah is a corporate director. She was the only female CEO/Chair to have led a top-ten publicly traded cable operating company, Wide Open West (doing business as WOW!) in the United-States, which she did for 12 years, from 2002-2014 and was Chair until December 2015. Prior to joining WOW!, Colleen spent much of her career at a former cable company Tele-Communications Inc. ("TCI") in the United-States, where she served in a number of positions including Assistant COO and Executive Vice President of Cable Operations. Her professional career spans over 30 years in the marketing/advertising and telecommunications industries.

She currently serves on the board of Rocky Mountain PBS and was an industry advisor for Avista Capital Partners. She is former Chair of the Board of the American Cable Association, a lobbying organization representing the interests of independent cable operators. She also served on the board of C-SPAN (an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, an American cable and satellite television network), and is a former Vice President of the Executive Board of Women in Cable Telecommunications ("WICT").

In the nonprofit world, she currently serves on the boards of The Women’s College of the University of Denver; and is Chair of World Pulse, a global social network dedicated to connecting, uniting and empowering women around the world. She is a former Chair of the Board for the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center as well as former Chairperson for the WICT Foundation.

Ms. Abdoulah is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women Award; the American Cable Association’s PAC Individual Leadership Award; the Lifetime Achievement Award from Mount Royal University in Calgary; and was a Multichannel News Wonder Women honoree and an inductee to the WICT Rocky Mountain Chapter’s Walk of Fame.

Louis Audet

Eng., MBA, C.M.

Executive Chair of the Board

Louis Audet

Eng., MBA, C.M.

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Louis Audet is Executive Chairman of the Board of Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications Inc., having stepped into the position on September 1, 2018.

Mr. Audet joined Cogeco in 1981 and held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications Inc. starting in 1993. Under his leadership, Cogecobecame a leading Canadian communications company, operating internationally and generating revenues of over $2.3 billion annually. As Executive Chairman, Louis Audet plays an active executive role focusing on major business issues and strategies while working closely with and supporting President and Chief Executive Officer, Philippe Jetté.

In 2019, Mr. Audet was named Chair of the Fondation et Alumni de Polytechnique Montréal. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of CableLabs, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Old Brewery Mission, a major foundation which provides emergency and other services for homeless people in the Montreal area. He previously sat on the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association, Clarica, Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, the Association canadienne de la radio et de la télévision de langue française, and served as Governor of the Council on Canadian Unity. He was also Chairman of the Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf Development Fund.

Over the years, Mr. Audet has often been recognized by both the business and philanthropic communities for his numerous achievements. Amongst his contributions, he acted as co-Chair of the 2017 campaign for Centraide of Greater Montréal and as Chair of the 2014-2020 fundraising campaign for the Old Brewery Mission Foundation.

Mr. Audet holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School (Boston, MA) and graduated from École Polytechnique (Montréal) with an Engineering Degree, Electronics and Communications. He holds a college diploma (DEC) from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf (Montréal).

Louis Audet was named Member of the Order of Canada in 2013. In 2018, he was chosen by the United Nations Association in Canada as its annual Global Citizens Laureate. That same year, he received two Honorary Doctorates from Université de Montréal and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. He has also been inducted into the Club des entrepreneurs du Conseil du patronat du Québec, and was awarded the Order of Merit from the Université de Montréal Alumni Association, as well as the Merit Award from École Polytechnique Alumni Association.

James C. Cherry

B.Com, FCPA, FCA

Lead Director

James C. Cherry

B.Com, FCPA, FCA

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Mr. Cherry is a corporate director. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) from 2001 to 2016. He has over 35 years of experience in general management and more specifically in project and financial management in the international aerospace, defense and rail sectors. Over this period he has worked in senior executive positions with Bombardier Inc., Oerlikon Aerospace Inc., CAE Inc. and ALSTOM Canada.

He is the lead director of Cogeco Inc. (a reporting issuer, parent company of Cogeco Communications), and is the Chair of its Audit Committee and member of the Human Resources Committee. He is also Chair of the Board of Logistec Inc. (a reporting issuer with activities in marine and environmental services) and a director and member of the Human Resources Committee of Voti Detection Inc. (a reporting issuer with activities in security screening technology). Mr. Cherry also serves as a director of Canada Infrastructure Bank, a Canadian Crown Corporation, engaged in building infrastructure for Canada and is the Chair of its Human Resources Committee.

Mr. Cherry is a director of the McGill University Hospital Centre and of Centraide United Way Canada. He co-Chaired the 2017 campaign for Centraide of Greater Montreal.

Pippa Dunn

LLB

Director

Pippa Dunn

LLB

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Ms. Dunn is the founder and director of Broody (an incubator for startups and accelerator to more established businesses) in a joint venture with British advertising agency Mother, since 2017. In this role, she is working with entrepreneurs to turn ideas and products into successful businesses. She originally qualified as a lawyer before switching careers and has almost thirty years of progressive experience in the marketing industry, including at Coca-Cola, NTL (now Virgin Media) and Orange which merged with T-Mobile in 2010 to create EE Limited (UK's largest cellular company). She was appointed Chief Marketing Officer with profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for the Consumer arm of EE in 2012 and led that organization until the successful sale of EE to British Telecom in 2016.

She was appointed by the government to be a Social Mobility Commissioner, an advisory public body, in 2018.The commission monitors progress towards social mobility in the UK and promotes social mobility in England.

Joanne Ferstman

CPA, CA, B. Com.

Director

Joanne Ferstman

CPA, CA, B. Com.

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Ms. Ferstman currently serves as a corporate director. She has over 20 years of progressive experience in the financial industry. Over an 18 year period until her retirement in June 2012, she held several leadership positions with the Dundee group of companies, which operated in wealth management, resources and real estate verticals. She was responsible for financial and regulatory reporting, risk management and involved in mergers and acquisitions and strategic development and held the position of Chief Financial Officer for many years and latterly held the positions of Vice Chair of DundeeWealth Inc. and President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Capital Markets Inc. Prior to joining the Dundee group of companies, Ms. Ferstman spent five years at a major international accounting firm.

She currently serves as Chair of DREAM Unlimited (a real estate company), on which she also serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Organization, Design and Culture and Leaders and Mentors Committees. She also serves as a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. (an intermediate mining royalty company) and ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (an advanced automation solutions corporation), each of which is a reporting issuer. She is the Lead director and member of the Human Resources Committee of Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. and a member of the Audit and Human Resources Committees of ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. Ms. Ferstman was formerly a director of DREAM office REIT, Aimia Inc. and of Excellon Resources Inc.

Lib Gibson

M.Sc., B.Sc., ICD.D

Director

Lib Gibson

M.Sc., B.Sc., ICD.D

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Ms. Gibson is a retired corporate executive and a corporate director. From 2003 to 2007, she was an officer and advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of BCE Inc. Prior to that from 1997 to 2003, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Bell Globemedia Interactive (and its predecessor companies), Canada’s largest Internet media company. Prior to that from 1996 to 1997, she was Vice-President Strategy of Bell Canada and from 1992 to 1996 was Vice-President Marketing of WorldLinx Communications.

She is a director of Payments Canada where she sits on the Human Resources and Compensation Committee, and chairs the Technology and Modernization Committee. She was a director of, among other companies, Computershare Trust Company of Canada where she sat on the Audit and Risk Committee and the Conduct Review and Corporate Governance Committee, of ING Direct Bank of Canada where she sat on the Audit Committee, the Risk Oversight and Investment Committee and the Governance and Conduct Review Committee and of West Park Healthcare Centre.

Ms. Gibson has taught Managing Innovation at the Rotman School of Management and in the Queen’s University MBA program. She is also an author and co-author of publications and has provided consulting services on innovation.

Philippe Jetté

Eng.

Director

Philippe Jetté

Eng.

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Mr. Jetté is President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Communications Inc. and of Cogeco Inc. since September 1, 2018.

Mr. Jetté was President of Cogeco Peer 1 from 2015 to 2018. Previously, Mr. Jetté held several positions within Cogeco, including Senior Vice President, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer of Cogeco Communications Inc. and Cogeco Inc. between 2013 and 2015 and Vice President, Chief Technology Officer from 2011 to 2013.

With more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Mr. Jetté combines practical technological know-how, mastery of complex network engineering, years of strategic planning, and global experience in marketing and sales with an extensive knowledge of the telecommunications market.

Prior to joining Cogeco, Mr. Jetté was President of PJCS Inc. (strategic ITC technology and marketing services) between 2008 and 2011. Before that, he held several technology, sales and marketing leadership positions with Bell Canada, Bell Mobility and Rogers Communications (Cantel).

Mr. Jetté acts as a Governor of the Alumni Association of École Polytechnique (Montréal).

Carole J. Salomon

B.A., MBA

Director

Carole J. Salomon

B.A., MBA

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Ms. Salomon has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Cardavan Corporation, a management consultancy, since 2001. Prior to establishing Cardavan, she held various leadership roles including President, North America of Trader.com and President, Residential Services of AT&T Canada. Before that she served as Vice President Marketing of Purolator Courier, and Vice President Marketing of Nabisco Brands.

She has served on the boards of Laurier Life, W.H. Smith Canada, Perigee Investment Management, Household Finance and Cineplex. In that regard, she was on the Audit and Human Resources Committees of Laurier Life, the Human Resources Committee of W.H. Smith Canada and the Governance Committee of Perigee Investment Management.

Bernard Lord

LL.B., B.Soc.Sc.

Director

Bernard Lord

LL.B., B.Soc.Sc.

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Since 2016, Mr. Lord is the Chief Executive Officer of Medavie, a Canadian health company that oversees Medavie Blue Cross and Medavie Health Services. From 2008 to 2016, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association which is the wireless industry's main trade organisation. From 1997 to 2006, Mr. Lord held different elected positions, including Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006. He has also practiced law and continues to be a member of the New Brunswick Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association

He was formerly Chair of the Board of Ontario Power Generation, as well as director and advisor for several other corporations.

In 2000 he was named Grand Officier de l'Ordre de la Pléiade (La Francophonie). In 2007, he was awarded the Order of New Brunswick and in 2011, he was appointed Queen's counsel.

David McAusland

B.C.L., LL.B.

Director

David McAusland

B.C.L., LL.B.

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Mr. McAusland has been a partner of McCarthy Tétrault LLP, a major law firm in Canada, since June 2009 where he is a strategic advisor focusing on corporate transactions and business development challenges and has pursued his career as a corporate director.

From 1999 to February 2008, he was a senior officer (latterly, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer) of Alcan Inc., a large multinational industrial company. As such he was involved in the design and execution of major international strategic initiatives and acquisition and divestiture transactions. Prior to joining Alcan, Mr. McAusland was managing partner of a major law firm.

He is a director of ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (an advanced automation solutions corporation) and IPL Plastics Inc. (a manufacturer of injectionmolded plastic products) both of which are reporting issuers. He serves as non-executive Chair of ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. and of IPL Plastics Inc.